Clamping device



Sept. 4,'1934-. I R MARQGG Re. 19,304

CLAMPING DEVICE Original Filed Aug. 13 1952 K .47- TOR/VEYS ReissuedSept. 4, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLAMPING DEVICE RichardMarogg, Troy, N. Y.

12 Claims. (01. 144-289) One of the objects of my invention is theprovision of a clamping device in which the clamping jaws are freelymovable towards each other to bring them into engagement with the Work,to-

gether with associated means for normally preventing separating movementfor each other and associated means for applying clamping pressure tothe clamping jaws when they have been brought into engagement with thework.

With the ordinary clamping device, two clamping jaws are provided andscrew-threaded means are provided for moving the one jaw toward theother. A considerable amount of time is consumed, however, in actuatingthe screw to move 15, the one jaw toward the other suificient to bringit into engagement with the work and converselyto move the clamping jawaway from the work. My invention avoids the waste of time incident tothe usual construction in bringing the clamp- 1ng jaws into engagementwith the work by the provision of means by which the jaws may be quicklymoved into position where clamping pressure may be applied and then thepressure applied by slowly moving an actuating member, and

in which, when the clamping pressure is released, the clamping jaws maybe quickly moved away from each other.

Furthermore, with the ordinary clamping device, one of the clamping jawsis rotatable, with the result that the application of force to the worksuch as is required, for example, in forming threads on a member, islikely to result in movement of the work in carrying out a desiredoperation thereon. In accordance with my invention, the jaws arenon-rotatable with respect to each other and the foregoing diificulty isobviated. Other objects of my invention will appear in the specificationand will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention will best be understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing in which I have illustrated a preferred embodiment thereof andin which Fig. l is a perspective view of a clamping device embodying myinvention and illustrating the clamping jaws in separated position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of the clampingdevice and illustrating the clamping jaws ready to be brought intoclamping engagement with the work;

Fig. 3 is a side view illustrating the-parts asso ciated with the jawsin a position to apply clampmg pressure to the jaws, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view illustrating a detail.

Referring to the drawing, 10 is a support provided with an arm 11integral therewith and which is provided with a fixed jaw 12 which ispreferably provided with a transverse groove 13 and a groove 14extending longitudinally of the clamping jaw. The support 10 ispreferably provided with openings 101 by which the support may besecured by screws engaging suitable tapped openings in the bench. Theclamping jaw is also preferably provided with a tapped opening in whichis received a screw 16 for a purpose which will more fully hereinafterappear. In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, an arm 17 ispivotally mounted as at 18 on the support 10. The arm 1'7 is providedwith a clamping jaw 19 pivotally mounted as at 191 onthe arm and on anaxis parallel to the face of the fixed clamping jaw, but not rotatableabout an axis perpendicular to its clamping face. In the embodimentillustrated, the arm 17 is provided with an opening 20 through whichextends one arm 21a of a toggle lever indicated generally at 21, theother arm 21b of which, in the form illustrated, comprises two linkspivoted to the arm 11 as at 22, the two arms of the toggle being pivotedtogether as at 23. The upper end of the arm 21a is provided with ratchetteeth 24 cooperating with a pawl 25'which, in the embodimentillustrated, is in the form of a plate secured to the arm 17 as by ascrew 26. It will be understood that the pawl may, if desired, be formedintegrally with the arm.

Pressure is applied to the toggle lever and thus to the clamping jawsthrough a stem 27 one end of which is preferably provided with a yoke28, the branches of which are received between the links 21b and the arm21a and the opposite end. of which passes through an opening in avertical standard 10a on the support 10. The end of the stem 27 isprovided with screwthreads, asat 29, which are engaged by a-wingnut30.-'.

A coil spring3l surrounding the stem 2'? is interposed between thestandard 10a and the toggle, one end 31a of the spring preferablyengaging the end 210 of the arm 21a which extends beyond its pivot. Thecoil spring 21 thus'tends to hold the toggle in a straightened position,as illustrated in Fig. 1, while the end 31a of the coil spring 31 tendsto rotate the arm 21:; a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figs.1,2 and 3 to maintain the teeth .=compared with. ordinary clampingdevices.

24 or the ratchet in engagement with the pawl 25.

The operation of my device is as follows Assuming that the jaws are inthe separated position illustrated in Fig. 1, the work or piece to beclamped in position is placed upon the lower fixed jaw 12 and the arm 17moved downwardly until the jaw 19 engages the upper side of the work.The arm may readly be moved downwardly inasmuch as the pawl 25 ridesover the ratchet teeth 24. Then by turning the winged nut 21 to move thetoggle from the ap-,

proximately straight line illustrated in Figs. 1

and 2 to the position illustrated in Fig. 3, the

ratchet teeth prevent the upward movement of the arm 17 and the jawcarried thereby and clamping pressure is applied to the work, the

parts assuming the position illustrated in Fig, 3. In order to releasethe'work, the winged nut is moved sufficiently to relieve the clampingpressure on the work. Then by moving the upper end of the arm-21a ofthe'toggle to the right, as

viewed in. Fig. 1 to release it from the pawl 25,

the arm .'may again be. raised away'irom the work. a 1

Itwill be apparent that clampingpressure is applied to the work and isreleased by moving the stem 2'2v through a comparatively small distanceby means of the winged nut 30 and that the entire operation. is carriedout rapidly as Furthermore, the work is not held as rigidly in positionas in applicant's device since the pivoted jaw is likely to turn whenpressure is applied on the work particularly :as in turning a thread orsimilar operation. z

The parts may conveniently be arranged so that the movement of of aninch of the screw causes a of an inch movement of the jaw. In otherwords the clamping force is about double that exerted by theordinaryclamp with the application of equal force.

By providing grooves in the clamping jaw 12, a more or less roundedmember and particularly a cylindrical member may be securely clamped inthe jaws without danger of its being dislodged when pressure is appliedthereto. For example, a thread may be applied on a bolt without dangerof the bolt being dislodged in carrying out the operation and in factscrew threads may be J inserted within the groove without injurythereto.

- When a relatively narrow piece of work, 32, as indicated in Fig. 4 'isclamped between the jaws, there would be a tendency for the jaw 19 totilt about the work as a pivot, and the work would not be held assecurely in clamping position between the jaws as would be the case ifthe faces of the jaws were kept in parallelism. By the provision of thescrew 16 the faces 01 the two jaws may be maintained in parallelism bymoving the upper 'end of the screw 16 to a position where it extendsabove the upper base of the jaw 12 a distance corresponding tothethickness of the work 32. v

-While I have described my invention in its preferred embodiments, itwill be understood that the words which'I have used, are words. ofdescription rather than of limitation and.

jaw,.a toggle for. applying pressure tosaid movable jaw, associatedmeans cooperating with said movable jaw for normally preventing movementbut releasable to permit free movement thereof away from the other, andscrew means for applying pressure to said toggle and thereby applyingclamping pressure to said movable jaw.

2. In a clamping device, a support provided with a first arm, a clampingjaw mounted thereon, a second arm pivoted to said support, a secondclamping jaw mounted on said second arm and cooperating with said firstjaw, a toggle interposed between said arms, screw means for applyingpressure to said toggle and thereby applying clamping pressure to saidsecond jaw, and associated means normally preventing separatingmovementof said second jaw from the first jaw,

- said associated means being readily releasable to permit free movementof said second jaw away from the first.

3. In a clamping device, a support, a first clamping'jaw mountedthereon, an arm pivoted on said support and provided with a secondclamping jaw and with a transverse opening, a toggle, one arm of whichis provided with ratchet teeth and pass ing through said opening, saidfirst mentioned arm being provided with a pawl coacting with saidratchet teeth to'permit free .movement of said first mentioned arm tobring said first jaw towardssaid second jaw and normally prevent aseparating movement thereof from the second jaw and means comprising atoggle lever for ap-. plying pressure to said arm and thereby applyingclamping pressure to said second jaw.

4. In a clamping device, a support, a first clamping jaw'mountedthereon,an arm pivoted on said support and provided with a second clamping jawcooperating with said first jaw, said arm being provided with anopening, a toggle,'one arm of which passes through said opening andcon-. structed and arranged to permit free movement of said firstmentioned arm in a direction to move said second jaw towards'said firstjaw, associated means for preventing a separating movement of saidsecond jaw from said first jaw and means for actuating said toggle toapply pressure to said 121) second jaw. I

5. In a clamping device, a support, a fixed jaw mounted thereon, an armpivoted to said support and provided with a second clamping jawcooperating with said first jaw, a toggle lever interposed between saidarm and said support and constructed and arranged to permit freemovement of said arm in a direction to move said second jaw towards saidfirst jaw and normally prevent separating movement thereofv from. saidfirst jaw, said support being provided with a screwe'ngageable with saidtoggle to actuate the same whereby clampingpressure may be applied tosaid second clamping jaw.

6. In a clamping device, a support, a fixed jaw mounted thereon, an armpivoted to said support and provided with a second clampingjawcoopcrating with said first jaw, a toggle lever interposed between saidarm and said support and constructed and'arranged to permit freemovement of said arm in a direction tozmove said second jaw towards saidfirst jaw and normally to prevent separating movement thereof from saidfirst jaw, said support. being provided with a screw engageable withsaid toggle to actuate the same and a spring interposed between saidtoggle and said support for normally straightening said toggle.

7. In a clamping device, a support provided witha first fixed clampingjaw, an arm pivoted to said 159 support and provided with a clamping jawcooperating with said first jaw, said arm being provided with anopening, a toggle lever, one arm of which passes through said openingand provided with ratchet teeth, said first mentioned arm being providedwith a pawl cooperating with said ratchet teeth, spring means normallyretaining the ratchet teeth of said second mentioned arm in engagementwith said pawl while permitting manual release thereof, and means forapplying pressure to said toggle whereby clamping pressure may beapplied to said second jaw.

8. In a clamping device, a support, a first clamping jaw mountedthereon, an arm provided with a second clamping jaw and movable towardsand away from said first jaw, a toggle interposed between said supportand said arm, the parts being constructed and arranged to permit freemovement of said arm in a direction to move said second jaw towards saidfirst jaw, associated means for normally preventing a separatingmovement of said second jaw from said first jaw, and screw means foractuating said toggle to apply pressure to said second jaw.

9. In a clamping device, two pivotally connected relatively movablemembers, clamping jaws mounted on the respective members and movableinto engagement with each other, a toggle lever co-operativelyassociated with said members, the parts being constructed and arrangedto permit free relative movement of said members towards each other,associated means for normally preventing a separating movement of saidmembers, and screw means for actuating said toggle lever to applypressure to said members.

10. In a clamping device, two relatively movable members provided withrespective cooperating clamping jaws, a toggle co-operatively associatedwith said members, screw means for applying pressure to said toggle andthereby applying clamping pressure to said jaws, and associated meansnormally preventing separating movement of said jaws, said associatedmeans being readily releasable to permit free separating movement ofsaid jaws.

11. In a clamping device, two relatively movable members provided withrespective cooperating clamping jaws, a toggle co-operatively associatedwith said members, means for applying pressure to said toggle andthereby applying clamping pressure to said jaws, and associated meanscomprising said toggle for normally preventing separating movement ofsaid jaws, said associated means being readily releasable to permit freeseparating movement of said jaws.

12. In a clamping device, a support, a fixed jaw mounted thereon, an armpivoted to said support and provided with a second clamping jawcooperating with said first jaw, means including a toggle lever forpreventing separating movement of said second jaw from said first jawand constructed and arranged to permit free movement of said arm in adirection to move said second jaw toward said first jaw, and meanswhereby said toggle may be actuated in a direction to apply clampingpressure to said second jaw.

RICHARD MAROGG.

